On May 12, representatives from the Faculdade Dehoniana in Taubaté, Brazil, joined faculty and staff from Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in a “Jubilee Colloquium.” Funded by an In Trust Grant, the colloquium was an opportunity for academic conversations between the two Dehonian institutions.
The name “Jubilee Colloquium” was in honor of both the Church’s Holy Year and the Dehonian Jubilee marking Fr. Dehon’s death 100 years ago and the foundation of the Congregation 150 years ago. Among those speaking was Dr. John Gallum, professor emeritus of SHSST. He reflected on how the charism of Fr. Leo John Dehon impacted his teaching.
“Fr. Dehon wanted to prepare theologians who were informed about the world,” he said. “How do we do that in the current media landscape? Should there be specific education on both the benefits and the challenges of social media? How do we teach media literacy to help people discern what, of the many claims that we see each day, are true? More than ever seminarians need to embrace the fact that their education does not end with a degree.”
Other topics of the colloquium included the relationship between the Eucharist and social justice, how devotions are practiced in North and South America, and Mariology in Brazil and the US.
Besides the representatives from the two Dehonian theological institutions, also in attendance was Fr. Levi Dos Anjos Ferreira, SCJ, Dehonian vicar general.
“This collaboration is something that Fr. Carlos Luis Suárez Codorniú, our superior general, has hoped to see take place for many years,” said Fr. Levi. “I am very happy to be here and to be a part of this sharing.”
